How Green Becomes Wood

[pandakatiefominz]

"I wouldn't want to lose him either, but losing my husband means I'd suddenly be a single parent of three," She teased, "so if I can only veto some trades, I can't prioritize keeping him."

"Ouch, Tarot," Cooger laughed.

 

[BookKnight]

"She's got a point," Xander said. "I don't think you'll fill the hole very well for parenting."

Alec nodded. "True. I don't think you'd make a particuarly good Ba for this group of three."

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Or a particularly good husband to me, Daizi thought, but didn't say it aloud. She didn't want to subject her children to certain mental images. "Plus Ivy would be so sad!"

"She would not understand where her black hair came from," Dark added.

 

[BookKnight]

"This is true. She would be so lost and alone," Alec sighed sadly. "One black hair among so much red!"

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"And she loves her real Baba so much," Daizi sighed, holding out her hand with the complete confidence Dark would come and hold it, "I couldn't allow those trades."

"Luckily, we do not need to worry about Cooger being traded, even if I may be willing to," Dark said carefully, "I do not believe there are many who would take him in."

 

[BookKnight]

Alec shook his head at them. "I'd never let you trade poor Uncle Cooger!" he said in defense of his uncle.

"Probably not, no," Xander agreed.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"In my defense," Dark said, holding up a finger, "I said I would trade him for something like a countship, he would trade me for a single corn chip. I clearly value him much more than he values me."

 

[BookKnight]

"True, but the countship was our idea, not yours, so, technically, we value him more," Alec pointed out.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"I never said what I would trade him for," Dark replied, "only that I theoretically would. Xander is willing to trade you for a very nice horse."

 

[BookKnight]

"Yeah, but he'd trade most of us for a very nice horse," Alec shrugged.

"This is true, I would," Xander agreed.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Daizi mock gasped, "You'd trade me for a very nice horse?!"

 

[BookKnight]

"Maybe," Xander said. "Or maybe a horse that really needed it. Like if I found a horse like Big John."

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"But who would be there to help soothe the horse?" Daizi asked, gently nuzzling her cheek against the kitten who had so quickly fallen asleep against her.

 

[BookKnight]

"Good point," Xander said. "Alright, I'll trade you for a horse with no troubles, and Ba for a horse that needs you."

"This has gotten so weird," Alec chuckled.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Cooger turned Ivy around and held her out to Xander, "Would you trade your little baby sister for a horse?"

 

[BookKnight]

"Nope." Xander waited a beat. "She's worth at least four."

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Cooger couldn't help but laugh at that, "That's a damn good answer. Glad a baby is worth more than the rest of us."

 

[BookKnight]

"Absolutely, she is," Xander said stoutly.

"I think you're underselling," Alec told him, "but I would rather have a baby sister than ten horses, so there's that."

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"I wouldn't trade any of my children for a herd of the finest horses," Daizi said confidently.

"Would you trade Dark?" Cooger asked.

Thinking about this for a moment, she answered, "Only temporarily, and only when he's truly gotten on my last nerve. I suppose I'd only loan him."

 

[BookKnight]

"Could you loan him to me to help me clean out the stalls?" Xander asked hopefully.